Evergreen Journal by Tugboat Institute

Tugboat Institute Members & Evergreen Thought Leaders
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CAPITALISM AT ITS BEST™ These are the stories of the Evergreen® movement. Evergreen leaders are seasoned entrepreneurs, CEOs and presidents with the vision, creativity, resourcefulness, patience and grit to build and scale a business that will stay private indefinitely. They measure success by how well they deliver on their mission and how well they embody the 7Ps: Purpose, Perseverance, People First, Profit, Private, Paced Growth, & Pragmatic Innovation. Tugboat Institute® is a membership organization that brings together Evergreen businesses across industry sectors to share best practices and unique insights, and to develop trusted bonds for their respective Evergreen paths.

  1. Bridging Generations: Documenting a Family Founder’s Vision

    SEP 4

    Bridging Generations: Documenting a Family Founder’s Vision

    Tugboat Institute® member Ashli Desai is President of Larry Walker Associates, an environmental engineering firm focused on water quality management. After founder Larry Walker’s departure, the company remained family-owned but was led by non-family executives. This divide between ownership and leadership created challenges in communication and alignment among the family, leadership, and employees.  In this Summit 2025 talk, Ashli tells her story of bridging leadership gaps, crafting a unified, shared vision for the future that brought all stakeholders together.  Watch and be inspired to think about how you might strengthen alignment in your own organization.

    11 min
  2. The Only Constant in Life - and in Business - is Change

    AUG 14

    The Only Constant in Life - and in Business - is Change

    In business as in life, longevity often invites assumptions. When we hear about a company that has thrived for over a century, it’s easy to picture a large, slow-moving, and rigid organization. But surviving, and thriving, across generations requires quite the opposite: adaptability, agility, and a willingness to evolve. Jayne Millard embodies this mindset as the fourth-generation leader of Turtle & Hughes, a family-run electrical and industrial distributor. Rather than resting on tradition, Jayne and her team are embracing innovation by focusing on sustainability and partnering with startups to stay ahead of industry trends. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Jayne shares the rich history of Turtle & Hughes alongside her own unconventional personal journey, one that fuels her courage and inspires her leadership today. Watch and discover how enduring businesses stay relevant by blending heritage with forward-thinking action.

    29 min
  3. On Rules of Thumb

    JUL 24

    On Rules of Thumb

    Business leaders often rely on rules of thumb, simple tools designed to guide decisions in complex environments. But when followed too rigidly, even the most trusted rules can create blind spots. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Dave Whorton explores this tension and offers a fresh perspective on how Evergreen® leaders might think differently. Dave is the founder and CEO of Tugboat Institute and the author of Another Way: Building Companies That Last…and Last…and Last. Drawing on decades of experience, he challenges widely accepted misconceptions about growth and encourages Evergreen leaders to embrace the courage, patience, and discipline required to build enduring businesses. Listen and be inspired to rethink familiar formulas and to lead with intention and imagination.

    17 min
  4. Both/And Thinking: Harnessing the Positive Potential of Tensions

    JUL 3

    Both/And Thinking: Harnessing the Positive Potential of Tensions

    In business as in life, there are trade-offs. This is an accepted part of the business world as well, and is usually accepted as an unavoidable truth. This includes pairs like Profit and Purpose, or Profit and Paced Growth, which can sometimes appear to be at odds with one another. But what if this didn’t always have to be true? Marianne Lewis proposes a leadership strategy that can help resolve this tension. Marianne is Professor in the Carl H. Lindner College of Business at University of Cincinnati and co-author of Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems. In this Tugboat Institute® talk, Marianne makes an argument for finding a way to embrace, rather than cave to tensions within an organization. It starts with a shift in mindset. Watch and be inspired to shift your own mindset, and make room for Both/And, instead of simply Either/Or.

    27 min
  5. Why Employees Quit and How to Use Evergreen® Principles to Keep Them

    MAY 29

    Why Employees Quit and How to Use Evergreen® Principles to Keep Them

    The last five years have seen an ever-tightening talent pool and, therefore, increased competition for great employees. It seemed that it was a pandemic-related phenomenon at first, but demographics tell us that in fact, this is here to stay for many years. Coupled with this tight labor market, employees have become more particular about what they are looking for in their work, and they have become more apt to move on if their situation is not just right. The great resignation and quiet quitting, were, it turns out, just the start. In this era where it has become so challenging to hire great employees and even more so to keep them, Michael Horn invites us to understand why, and how to combat this trend. Michael is a longtime friend of Tugboat Institute®’s and Co-Founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. In his recent book, Job Moves, he explores what drives employees to quit so readily and offers them advice about what factors to consider when considering taking this step. In this Tugboat Institute talk, he flips his perspective and offers company leaders a look into the factors that drive employees to quit - and to stay – in order to be more intentional about improving recruitment and reducing turnover. It turns out that many of the things he recommends go hand in hand with being an Evergreen® company. Watch and consider how you might improve your employees’ experience and keep your best players for the long term.

    29 min
  6. The Making of Another Way

    MAY 8

    The Making of Another Way

    On May 6, 2025, Another Way: Building Companies That Last...and Last...and Last, by Dave Whorton with Bo Burlingham was released to the public. Their book tells the story of Dave’s journey from Venture Capital’s epicenter in Silicon Valley to founding Tugboat Institute®, an organization dedicated to bringing together, supporting, and championing Evergreen® leaders and their Purpose-driven, Private, enduring companies. In this conversation moderated by Tugboat Institute member Mel Gravely, Executive Chair of Triversity Construction, Dave and Bo share their experiences conceiving of this project, their working relationship and the process of writing it, and what they hope it will accomplish in society. Mel deftly leads the two friends and co-authors through topics that will touch and inspire you, and that will help you better understand the foundation and the aspirations of the Evergreen movement. Watch and be inspired to read this book and support this important movement.

    34 min
  7. Building From Crumbs

    APR 24

    Building From Crumbs

    Tugboat Institute® member Ford Mennel is the fifth generation leader of his family company, The Mennel Milling Company. In their 139 years, the company has been through many phases, some marked by prosperity and expansion, and some by stagnation and risk. Through it all, the series of family leaders who have shepherded Mennel have succeeded in building an Evergreen® company that is strong, continually expanding, diverse, and surprisingly innovative, given that their industry is one of the oldest in human society. In this talk, Ford not only shares his family’s and company’s history, the risks they faced, and the strategies that allowed them to survive and thrive over time. He also demonstrates creativity in his approach to Pragmatic Innovation, not just in Mennel Milling’s products and services, but also in his strategic approach to accessing capital for acquisitions while safeguarding the company’s Evergreen® independence. Watch and be inspired to be innovative in all areas of your company, and to build something that will last.

    28 min
  8. Fireside Chat with Dave Thrasher, Dan Thrasher, and Dave Whorton

    APR 6

    Fireside Chat with Dave Thrasher, Dan Thrasher, and Dave Whorton

    Dave and Dan Thrasher grew up in the house that served as the first HQ for their parents’ basement waterproofing company, which they had started and grown slowly over decades. By the time the two brothers stepped into the business, their parents had grown it to about $4 million in revenues. In the 20 years since then, Dan has taken over leadership of Thrasher Group, Dave leads the newer company, Supportworks, and together, they have built their companies to an impressive $400 million in revenue. In this Fireside Chat with Dave Whorton, Dave leads the brothers through stories from their childhood, their entry into the business, and the birth and growth of their respective companies. In their conversation, they cover topics ranging from early forays into entrepreneurship, what they learned and have preserved from each of their parents, key moments through the growth of the business, both before and after they joined, and the effect of the arrival of PE in their space. Watch and be inspired to lean into your values, make courageous decisions, and find new ways for your business to grow and thrive.

    1h 7m
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About

CAPITALISM AT ITS BEST™ These are the stories of the Evergreen® movement. Evergreen leaders are seasoned entrepreneurs, CEOs and presidents with the vision, creativity, resourcefulness, patience and grit to build and scale a business that will stay private indefinitely. They measure success by how well they deliver on their mission and how well they embody the 7Ps: Purpose, Perseverance, People First, Profit, Private, Paced Growth, & Pragmatic Innovation. Tugboat Institute® is a membership organization that brings together Evergreen businesses across industry sectors to share best practices and unique insights, and to develop trusted bonds for their respective Evergreen paths.

Information

  • Creator
    Tugboat Institute Members & Evergreen Thought Leaders
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    173
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright@2023 Tugboat Institute
  • Show Website
    Evergreen Journal by Tugboat Institute